Loving

'I'm not if you only knew. But you've got so many worries with everything you have to manage.'

'That's just it. And when you feel there's someone in the house you can't trust matters become almost impossible.'

'Someone you can't trust?' the young woman asked in an agitated voice so that Mrs Tennant looked but could not see her expression, standing as she was against the light.

'Why yes,' Mrs Tennant said, 'because that ring must have been somewhere to have been found.'

'Oh of course.'

'Then Violet you don't really consider I need do any more?'

'Well I don't see why. I'd let sleeping dogs rest,' the young woman repeated.

'Well perhaps you're right. Oh and darling Violet there's this other thing. You know Agatha is ill now so that with Nanny Swift that makes two trays for every meal. As a matter of fact Jane and Mary are being very good and I've been able to ease things for the pantry by telling Raunce to discontinue the fires now it's so much warmer. The pictures won't come to any harm for the weather really is quite hot. At the same time it makes rather a lot for Edith when she has to take the children out. There's all the cleaning still to be done as usual. So I was wondering Violet darling if you could possibly take on the children a bit more after Jack's leave is up but only in the afternoons of course.'

As soon as the children were mentioned the younger woman relaxed, sat down again. There came over her face the expression of a spoiled child.

'Why of course,' she said. 'I was going to anyway.'

'You are a brick Violet. One knows one can always rely on you. Things are really becoming detestable in these big houses. I must have a word with Doctor Connolly. It's all very well I shall tell him his killing off poor Eldon but he must be more careful over Agatha,' and Mrs Tennant tittered at herself. 'We simply can't afford to lose her I shall tell him. Or nanny for that matter, though of course if there was anyone to take her place she would almost be pensionable now.'

'Oh I think she's still very good,' Mrs Jack objected. Miss Swift was her own servant.

'She's excellent Violet, quite excellent. I only meant she was getting older as I am. But that's the dilemma nowadays. Whether to have matters out with the servants and then to see them all give notice, or to carry on anyhow so to speak with the existing staff and have some idea in the back of one's mind that things may change for the better? What would you do?'

'My dear I think you manage wonderfully,' Mrs Jack said in a reassuring voice.

'Well I don't know about that,' Mrs Tennant replied. 'It seems we're living pretty well from hand to mouth when I hardly dare ask anyone over to a meal even for fear one or more of the creatures will give notice. You will remember to ring up that Captain Davenport won't you? But in a way I regard this as my war work, maintaining the place I mean. Because we're practically in enemy country here you know and I do consider it so important from the morale point of view to keep up appearances. This country has been ruined by people who did not live on their estates. It might be different if de Valera had a use for places of the kind. Why he doesn't offer Ireland as a hospital base I can't imagine. Then one could hand over a house like this with an easy conscience. Because after all as I always say there are the children to consider. I look on myself simply as a steward. We could shut Kinalty up to-morrow and go and live in one of the cottages. But if I once did that would your darlings ever be able to live here again? I wonder.'

'Did Jack's stepfather live here much before he died?'

'Edward would never be away from the place when he first rented it,' Mrs Tennant replied. 'But once he bought outright he seemed to tire. Still he was a sick man then and most of the time he stayed in London to be near the doctors.'

'Well anyway I think you are doing a perfectly marvellous job,' Mrs Jack murmured.

'Thank you darling. You are a great comfort. I love this house. It's my life now. If only there wasn't this feeling of distrust hanging over one.'

'Distrust?' Mrs Jack enquired rather sharply again.

'This business about my ring,' her mother-in-law replied. 'What I always say is, if one can't trust the people about you where is one?'

'Oh but I'm sure you can? Of course Edith's very much in love with Raunce, we all know that, which makes her a bit funny and imaginative sometimes. Still I'm sure she's absolutely reliable otherwise.'

'Imaginative my dear?'

'Well you know how it is. She's trying to land Raunce. My God fthat man's a cold fish. I'm glad it isn't me.'

'Let them marry, let them live in sin if they like so long as we keep them but my dear,' the elder Mrs Tennant said, 'what do we know about the servants? Why,' she added, 'there's Jack. Whatever can be the matter to make him leave the river at this hour? Hullo Jack,' she called, 'done any good?' She had moved over to the open window with this man's wife and stuck her rather astounding head with its blue-washed silver hair out into the day as though she were a parrot embarrassed at finding itself not tied to a perch and which had turned its back on the cage. He waved. He came over. He was in grey flannel trousers with an open red-and-white checked shirt. He looked too young for service in a war.

'I ran out of fags,' he explained looking mildly at his wife who smiled faintly indulgent at him.

'Oh Jack,' his mother said, 'we're asking Captain Davenport, do you remember him, over for dinner to-night?'

'Him?' the young man asked. 'Has he got back then?'

'I didn't know he'd been away,' Mrs Tennant said. Her daughter-in-law stayed very quiet.

'Oh we saw quite a lot of him in London this time didn't we Doll,' he remarked casually to his wife.

'Well there's no one else in this desert of a place so you'll simply have to see him again that's all,' Mrs Tennant said sharp but cheerful and all three drifted off on their separate ways without another word.

The evenings were fast lengthening. Charley and Edith slipped out after supper that same day to be with each other on the very seat by the dovecote where Miss Swift that first afternoon of spring had told her charges a fairy story while they watched the birds love-making. These, up in the air in declining light, were all now engaged on a last turn round before going back inside the leaning tower to hood their eyes in feathers.

Edith laid her lovely head on Raunce's nearest shoulder and above them, above the great shadows laid by trees those white birds wheeled in a sky of eggshell blue and pink with a remote sound of applause as, circling, they clapped their stretched, starched wings in flight.

That side of Edith's face open to the reflection of the sky was a deep red.

'She passed my books all right this mornin',' he murmured.

'What books?' she asked low and sleepy.

'Me monthly accounts,' he replied.

'Did she?' Edith sighed content. They fell silent. At some distance peacocks called to one another, shriek upon far shriek.

'That'll mean a bit more put away for when we are together,' he went on and pressed her arm. She settled closer to him.

'You're wonderful,' she said so low he hardly heard.

'I love you,' he answered.

Her left hand came up to lie against his cheek.

'An' did you ask about our little house we're going to have?' she enquired.

'I did that. But Mrs T. couldn't seem to take it in. She said yes and no and went on about Michael being tiresome. But of course I didn't come straight out about it's being for us dear.'

'You wouldn't,' she made comment dreamily.

'Ah you want to move too fast in some things you do. Slow but sure that's me,' and he chuckled. 'I get 'em so they think it's their idea.'